Evaluation of the quality of cotton seeds based on preliminary laboratory tests on three multiplication sites in the Senegal cotton basin

Abstract

Cotton seed is a very important production factor whose control determines the yield of the crop. Its supply is characterized by a quality production system of strategic importance and constitutes an essential prerequisite for any action to improve the yield of the Senegalese cotton sector. At each multiplication cycle, risks of contamination can lead to a drop in quality, hence the objective of setting up preliminary testing mechanisms to evaluate the variability of different parameters in order to characterize the behavior of each batch of seeds from the multiplication zones. The experiment was carried in 2018, 2019 and 2020 on seed multiplication areas of Kédougou, Linkering and Pakour locations. The results of this study showed significant differences in seed quality depending on locations and years of production. The strong correlation between the different quality parameters showed the relevance of seed index, percentage of immature seeds and rate of parasitized seeds for a good assessment of the quality of seed batches intended for the delinting unit. Seeds from the Kedougou area gave the best results on each of the parameters compared to Linkering and Pakour, notwithstanding a significant level of parasitism (nearly 15%) observed at the end of the season which caused germination rate to drop to 80% following poor sorting of the densimetric table caused by a very high seed index between 2018 and 2019. The 85% germination rate of Linkering and Pakour seeds shows the positive impact of delinting on seed quality and the good sorting of the densimetric table when seed index is low. Early harvest of cotton seed, fertilization, monitoring of agronomic management, insecticide treatments applied between bursting of the bolls and harvest as well as good adjustment of the densimetric table will make it possible to better manage the quality of cotton seed in Senegal.

Keywords: Seed, cotton, delinting, densimetric table, seed index, parasitism, Senegal

Full-text of the article is available for this locale: Français (Canada).